Tag: Motivation

JESUS’TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE

~ theologymatters67 ~ 1 Comment

Mark 12:35-44

BRIEF INTRO: As we move forward in time, relating to our context, we will witness Jesus communicating His views about the Pharisees. His statements relate not only to their teaching but their actions as well. Jesus did not want His disciples, or anyone else for that matter, to be deceived by a false religiosity that only condemns but can never save anyone. We will see this transpire in three ways; you will notice this in my section outline.

35 And Jesus responded and began saying, as He taught in the temple area, “How is it that the scribes say that the [a]Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself said [b]in the Holy Spirit,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”‘

37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And the large crowd [c]enjoyed listening to Him.

FOCUS ONE: Jesus teaching (vv.35-37)

The first words in verse thirty-five are interesting and could be a bit confusing, so let’s look at them quickly. “And Jesus answering began to say. . .” Who is He answering? He already responded to the scribe asking Him which commandment is the greatest (vv. 28-34). Nobody else dared ask Him anything. Interesting, isn’t it? Granted, some translations do not have it this way; some might say, “and Jesus responded” (as seen above, ironically, both the above and what I began this section with come from the NASB only different years). Still, others translate it this way: “and continuing.”

I believe the latter is a better translation of what is going on in the text. Strongs defines the Word for answering as “to answer, reply, or take up the conversation.” In other words, when someone begins to speak and continue a conversation. Jesus, already involved in a conversation in which He spoke last (v. 34), continues the discussion by asking His question! Now that makes more sense as I read it.

Here Jesus challenges the scribes relating to their teaching on the Messiah as the Son of David. Oh, How they esteemed David. He was probably the most esteemed person in all Jewish history next to Moses. So, Jesus asked what these scribes meant “when they said that the Christ, the expected Messiah, is the Son of David, who would be the triumphant deliverer (cr. 10:47).” This “sonship” was a massive part of the Jewish belief system of that day (John 7:41-42). But did they believe that the Messiah was David’s Lord? 

Their view, in general, was correct but not complete! Jesus, with great wisdom, leads them to reflect on scripture from Psalm 110. The question “how” reflected in the words “in what sense,” are directed at a more targeted response, how is He His son?

Did this quote from Psalm 110 cast any doubt on their assumptions? It most certainly did. In what he wrote, Jesus showed them that David, their esteemed one, “complicates their understanding of what it means for the Messiah to be the Son of David, since David himself assigned to the Messiah a superior title and psition.”

That the Messiah was the Son of David in a physical sense is true but not complete. That the Messiah, in a divine sense, is also David’s Lord (master, supreme in authority-God) completes the whole picture of precisely who the Messiah is. The Hebrew writing of Psalm 110 most clearly evidences this truth. 

In Hebrew, we would read it this way: “The Lord (Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel), said to my (David’s) Lord (Adonai-master, owner, sovereign ruler). What is indisputable is the fact that David called the Messiah Lord! So the million dollar question is this: How is David’s son BOTH God (David’s Lord) and man (David’s son; cf. Romans 1:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:8)?

The response to a seemingly bold yet veiled depiction of who He is is two-fold. First, we read of no reaction by the scribes; nothing is mentioned. Second, we read that the “great crowd” enjoyed or gladly listened to Him (v. 37). That doesn’t mean that they understood it all, but simply that they enjoyed listening to His teaching.

You probably, like myself, love to hear the preaching of the Word. Sometimes we don’t understand it all either. But our response should be much different than those we read about in this section. It is good to enjoy hearing the Word taught, but understanding and applying it are far better responses than enjoyment or apathy. Perhaps, we need to discipline ourselves to be more studious in our bible study.

38 And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like personal greetings in the marketplaces, 39 and seats of honor in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.

FOCUS TWO: Jesus’ warning (vv.38-40)

By Jesus using the word “beware” in His teaching in the Temple, He wants all those listening to understand that the manner in which the scribes operate on a daily basis is not the pattern they should follow in their walk of faith. He wants them to look more intently at how the scribes model their faith. He wants them to perceive the difference between a true example of godly living from a false one.

Jesus mentions four areas in which their hypocrisy is evident:

  1. 1. The long robes (speaks of them continually exercising their will from a motive of a desire to be seen).
  3. 2. Greetings in the marketplace ( They loved attention their “holy facades” fostered but were fakes and frauds, spiritually speaking. They expected to be addressed with titles of dignity).
  5. 3. The chief seats in the synagogues and at banquets ( It gratified them to receive such deferential recognition at religious services).
  7. 4. Greed for money ( As one of their functions, scribes serve as consultants in estate planning for widows. Their role allows them to convince lonely and susceptible women that their money and property should be given to the scribe for his holy work or to the Temple for its sacred ministries. In either case, the scribe gains personally).

We must keep in mind that Mark only gives a brief snippet of the teaching of Jesus at the Temple. For a complete account, I direct you to Matthew 23:1-39. Matthew reveals that after Jesus rebukes the scribes, He pronounces eight woes upon them! Matthew helps us understand how bad these people were and why those listening to Jesus’ teaching needed to grow in their discernment.

“The disciples are to continually beware of them because they are ungodly, do not truly know God, have no true spiritual wisdom. As MacArthur says, “They are agents of Satan sent to fight the purposes of God…False religion never restrains the flesh. So these people operate like the worst of the unregenerate, except that it is not apparent on the surface. But false religion cannot subdue their wretched heart, for that can only be subdued by regeneration by means of the truth of the Gospel. So these men are to be avoided because they are always one thing on the outside and something else on the inside. They have nothing to offer spiritually and are destructive…deadly…dangerous. Do not get near them because you will get singed, stained.”

With all that being said, it becomes much clearer how hypocritical the scribes were and why they deserved such condemnation.

But what about today? Are there hypocritical false teachers among us? Absolutely! A good portion of what we see on most “Christian” networks would easily fit this prototype. But why do so many people watch it? Why do many professing Christians digest such teaching every week? I think for the same reason, the people of Jesus’ day blindly followed the instruction and examples of the scribes and Pharisees-lack of discernment.

41 “And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and began watching how the [a]people were putting [b]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large amounts. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two [c]lepta coins, which amount to a [d]quadrans. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [e]the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their [f]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, [g]all she had to live on.”

FOCUS THREE: Jesus observing (vv. 41-44)

Note the shift in location from the Court of the Gentiles (the large, open area where thousands could hear his teaching) to the smaller Court of the Women, which contained the thirteen Treasury chests or ‘trumpets.’ He was observing the offerings (how they offered their money). The Scribes and Pharisees made a great show strutting around like peacocks to attract men’s attention. Jesus focuses on the contrast of a poor woman presenting her offering.

Next, we take “notice” of what Jesus observed as He “sat down opposite the treasury.” He noticed a contrast between what one poor widow contributed and “all the other contributors” (v. 43). So, what is the difference between putting money in the treasury from your surplus or out of your poverty?

Before I answer that question, I want first to exercise some discernment. We have just observed Jesus criticizing the Scribes and Pharisees, But He does not identify these “givers” or “contributors” as from either group, but only as the rich. While one might postulate that is what these rich were doing, Jesus does not specifically say that in this section.” “Likewise, while we might suppose they were doing their giving for show, Jesus does not say that this was their motive. Yes, He had just finished issuing a series of “Woes” to the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23:1-36, even saying in verse 5 that “they do all their deeds to be noticed by men.” So, we want to be careful moving forward.

 As He sits there observing, He notices what people are giving. This text shows a contrast between the rich and the poor. Whereas the “rich” were contributing large sums, the “widow” put in “two small copper coins,” which equaled 1/64th of a denarius (a Roman silver coin worth about 15 cents).

We are quick to notice the obvious-the giving of the rich required no sacrifice; they had an abundance. But for the poor widows giving required great sacrifice. But is that the point to walk away with? Perhaps not:

“Her piety and personal sacrifice are to be applauded, but what is the (cause) of her poverty, and what will be (done) with her gift? Mark has just pictured Jesus condemning religious leaders who reduce widows to poverty” (Mk 12:38–40). Maybe that’s the point to walk away with!

“She literally put in less, but Jesus assesses her gift as more. He does not say it is better, but just that it is more than all the others. He will explain this “quantifying” statement in the next verse.”

“So the reason she gave more is not because of the (quantity) she gave, but the proportion she gave. Notice Jesus neither condemns the rich for not giving like the poor widow. But neither does He laud the poor widow for giving a greater proportion (literally 100%). He is simply stating the contrast between the givers.” 

Lesson to be learned:

The poor widow’s (degree of sacrifice) is given great weight, but history is replete with stories of those who have shown great sacrifice for a cause they believed in, and many of them had nothing to do with faith in Christ. “Considering, then, that she is casting money in the Temple treasury, it seems fair to say that she is supportive of the religious system that her money will go to undergird. So sacrifice by itself is no indicator of one’s faith in Jesus.”

To reiterate, we cannot discern the motive of her heart for giving all she had. Jesus did not comment on the (state of the heart) but on the degree or proportion of her giving. And He did not tell the disciples, “Go and do likewise.

What is our motivation for giving? 

The Bible Knowledge Commentary

Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament

Preceptaustin.org

A SIGN FROM HEAVEN

~ theologymatters67 ~ 1 Comment

Mark 8:10-13. Cr. Matthew 16:1-4

BRIEF INTRO: It should appear odd that the Pharisees would be asking for a sign, an “attesting miracle,” to validate who Jesus says He is. When we survey the gospel accounts up to this point, we are quickly inundated with many situations in which Jesus performed miracles. He cast out demons (1:23-27), healed Simon’s mother-in-law from fever (1:29-31), and healed many who were sick from various illnesses (1:34). He healed lepers, paralytics, and a man with withered hands, a woman with a bleeding issue (5:25-34), and many others. He even fed five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish! Who else but God the Messiah can do such wonders?

And yet, as often as we see the Pharisees in the gospel accounts, gathering together to test Him, observe Him, and even debate Him, with full knowledge of what He has done for the people, we still find them “seeking a sign.”

Do you need some sign before you trust in Jesus?

11 And the Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, demanding from Him a [a]sign from heaven, [b]to test Him.

FOCUS ONE: The problem with the Pharisees

Who were they anyway?

“After the Babylonian exile, the Pharisees organized with the express purpose of ensuring that the people of God would no longer stray away from the divine precepts. In an effort to do so, they became expert exegetes and interpreters of scripture. They painstakingly studied the law of God and created a sort of oral commentary on the law, which evolved over time and later was produced in a written form known today as the Mishnah. The parts of the Mishnah directly related to commandments or legal requirements of the law were known as halacha, which means walking through the law.”

“By New Testament times, the Pharisees had reached the height of their influence. They were well-respected by the common people because of their commitment to piety and dogged loyalty to the nation of Israel. They were bitter rivals of the Sadducees, a similar group that was made of mostly upper-class Jews, though with more liberal political views. The Pharisees, whose name in the original language signifies a literal separation from that which would defile, were the opposite of the Sadducees, who were highly motivated by any relationship or arrangement which would advance their political or economic aims. The Pharisees were deeply committed to doctrinal and personal purity. While the Pharisees did consider Sadducees to be compromising backsliders, we do see them leaguing together to entrap Jesus (see Mt. 22:15-16,22-23,34).”

So, they didn’t start badly, but over the years, the motivations of many of them changed. Their influence over the people was of paramount importance to them. Jesus called them out over this very thing in Matthew 23:6-7. “It seemed as though their primary qualm with Jesus was that He was detracting from their influence and thus diminishing the ability to maintain control of the hearts and minds of the people.” 

Some problems we notice regarding the Pharisees:

  1. They had an incorrect view of authority (7:6)
  2. They failed to acknowledge the inconsistencies in their hearts
  3. They were self-consumed and self-absorbed (Matthew 23:1-36)
  4. They were hypocrites (Matthew 23)

In our text, we find Jesus and His disciples had just entered the district of Dalmanutha and were immediately harassed by the Pharisees from that region. Where is Dalmanutha?

“(1) A place on the west of the Sea of Galilee, mentioned only in  Mark 8:10 . In the parallel passage, it is said that Christ came “into the borders of Magdala” ( Matthew 15:39 ). It is plain, then, that Dalmanutha was near Magdala, which was probably the Greek name of one of the many Migdols (i.e., watch-towers) on the western side of the lake of Gennesaret. It has been identified in the ruins of a village about a mile from Magdala, in the little open valley of ‘Ain-el-Barideh, “the cold fountain,” called el-Mejdel, possibly the “Migdal-el” of Joshua 19:

In this place, we read Christ’s response to them regarding their request for a sign.

12 Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, “Why does this generation demand a [a]sign? Truly I say to you, [b]no [c]sign will be given to this generation!”

FOCUS TWO: Why a sign?

The Pharisees already had many attesting miracles (signs) that revealed the deity of Jesus. It wasn’t that they needed clarification of anything. No, it is evident in these few recorded words of Mark that they were there to “test” Him and did so while “arguing” with Him (8:12).

Those words: “sighed deeply in His spirit,” reveal the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ! They express how deeply affected He was by their “wickedness” and “hypocrisy.” It appears that their “obstinate unbelief” is the issue underlying His refusal to give them a sign of their asking. So, no sign at their request, in such unbelief, will be given to them, BUT Jesus will provide “one” sign of His choosing! Matthew 16:1-4 records Christ’s words regarding the sign He will provide: the sign of Jonah! It was NOT what they asked for and would NOT be given because they asked for it.

Now the question should arise: Is it always wrong to seek a sign? I guess the answer to that would be yes AND no! Confusing? Let’s focus on that answer for just a bit.

In our day and age, the definition of terms is very critical. While one person may understand a word to mean one thing, others may define it differently. So, we need to be careful here. There seem to be three different possible meanings being used when the word “signs” is used.

“2The first category for “signs” is biblical but should NOT be sought after by Christians. The second category for “signs” is biblical and should be sought after by Christian’s. And the third category for “signs” is not biblical and thus should not be sought after by Christians.”

The first category of “signs” is what I would label as “signs and wonders.”

In the Bible, there is clear evidence that at certain times in history, God has chosen to create “signs and wonders” to send a message, warnings, or to mark the fulfillment of a promise. 

An example of this would be in Luke 2:8-15, when an angel appeared to the shepherds and announced the supernatural birth of Jesus. Luke 2:12 states, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”

“While these types of “signs” are clearly biblical, these are not the type of signs a Christian should look for to hear from God on a daily basis. Signs and wonders are rare and will not be performed by God whenever we want him to do them. God chooses to use these types of signs for special purposes and reasons. We should not ask God to speak to us through signs like this whenever we want to know his will for our lives. These types of signs and wonders are something God will choose to do when he wants to, but this is not something we should seek after.”

The second category of “signs” is what I would label as “evidence for what God wants you to do in your life.

“Unlike “signs and wonders,” this second type of “sign” is the kind I believe Christians should always be looking for so that they can fulfill God’s specific will for their life. The process of seeing these signs is less about asking God to send them to us and more about properly interpreting the signs God is already sending to us. God is always telling us what he wants us to do in life, and we need to properly interpret these “signs” so we are doing what God wants.”

“When certain things are happening in your heart and in your life, we need to interpret these things through a biblical lens. When I use the word “signs” in my videos and articles, I’m referring to this process of interpreting events through applying the Bible. If “________” happens, this is a sign you should apply “_________” biblical principle. Just like a doctor who looks at the patient and examines what symptoms are present before giving medicine, we need to look at the “signs” in life that would lead us to apply the correct biblical wisdom.”

For example, if you are a man and asked God, “Lord, do you want me to ask Ashley out on a date?”, it would not be biblical to ask God to give you a vision to tell you what to do. But, it would be biblical to look for evidence in your life and interactions with Ashley to help you rightly apply the word of God. So if you are talking with Ashley and it comes out that she is not a Christian like you thought she was, this would be a “sign” that God does not want you to date her because 2 Corinthians 6:14 states that God does not want his people unequally yoked.

Because our goal here is to apply biblical wisdom rightly, this is why we can use the language, “God wants you to do this” or “God wants you to do that.” The Bible is God’s word; therefore, when we rightly apply the Bible to our lives, we know we are doing what God wants us to do in our lives.

The third category of “signs” is what I refer to as “horoscopes and superstitions.” 

“When someone is using the word “sign” in this sense, they are attaching unrelated meaning to random events and situations in life.”

“For example, if a man was asking, “Lord, do you want me to date Ashely?” and then he instantly saw five grey cats walk in front of him, and he then interpreted this as a sign that God does want him to date Ashley, this would be unbiblical. Why? Because those five grey cats have nothing to do with healthy relationship principles found in the Bible. 

If this man prayed that prayer and then at church that night, he and Ashly have a great conversation together, and they get time to serve with one another, and it seems like they both are prepared to start a godly relationship – then that could be interpreted as a sign that God is telling him to move forward with her. But when we try to attach our meanings to random things in life, we are playing God and just making things up in our heads. This is not what God wants for us.”

“Or if a woman was asking God if she should breakup with her boyfriend and then on her way to work she literally got stopped at every red traffic light possible, and then she interpreted this as a sign that God was telling her to breakup with him, this would not be biblical because red traffic lights don’t mean anything biblically or relationally. However, if on her way to work she sees her boyfriend kissing another woman, clearly that would be a sign she needs to breakup with him because this man is not showing the character of a faithful man that the Bible requires for husbands.”

“God speaks clearly through the Bible, through the Holy Spirit’s impressions on our hearts, and through the circumstances in our lives. God will help us rightly interpret the “signs” in our lives by showing us how to rightly apply biblical wisdom to the situations and relationships we experience in our lives.”

I trust these examples from a website on applying God’s word will help us better understand the importance of correctly defining terms and biblically applying scripture.

13 And leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side.

FOCUS THREE: Approaching Jesus

One other thing that stands out in this portion of scripture, at least to me, is the question of how we approach Jesus? To simply state it, there are only two ways to approach Jesus:

  1. Incorrectly (irreverent, argumentative, hypocritically) 10:2; 11:18
  2. Correctly (humbly, repentant, sincerely) 7:27-30; 5:21-24; 35-43

I encourage you to read the scriptures cited above for yourself because in them, you will see a stark contrast in the heart and behavior of each person represented. 

Once again, we read that Jesus leaves to go “to the other side” with His disciples. We see this many times leading up to our text today:

Mark 4:35

5:21

6:32

6:45

8:10

8:13 seems to be the last time

In verse twenty-two we find their destination: Bethsaida!

  1. (1) The Growth network (internet site)
  2. (2) Applying God’s word (internet site).